Front panel operated cigarette snuffer and receiver



J. F. SMILLIE Nov. 8, 1955 FRONT PANEL OPERATED CIGARETTE SNUFFER AND RECEIVER Filed Jan. 50, 1953 Lava JOHN

United States Patent Ofiice 2,722,939 Fatented Nov. 8, 1955 FRONT PANEL OPERATED CIGARETTE SNUFFER AND RECEIVER John F. Smillie, San Diego, Calif.

Application January 30, 1953, Serial No. 334,281

Claims. (Cl. 131-256) The present invention relates generally to a cigarette snuffer and more particularly to a split tube type cigarette snuffer and receiver.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a cigarette snuffer comprising a split tube which holds a cigarette until extinguished, said cigarette being released by opening the split tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a split tube cigarette snuifer in which the split tube is opened by displacing a movable panel of the case containing the snuffer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette snuifer of the type described which is especially suited for use with automobile type ash trays.

Still another object is to provide a snuffer which is aesthetically designed and safe for use. in vehicles since there are no knobs or other obtrusions likely to constitute crash hazards.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette snuffer which is. adapted for fabrication from many different materials, so that the choice of material can be according to the dictates of availability and price considerations, the exact sizes and proportions being matters easily determined to suit particular conditions and needs.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cigarette snuifer which is inexpensive and practicable to manufacture.

Finally, it is an object to provide a cigarette snuffer of the aforementioned character which is simple, safe and convenient to operate, and which will give generally efiicient and durable service. i

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions, as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the drawing which forms a material part of this disclosure and wherein similar characters of reference indicate similar or identical elements and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the cigarette snuffer attached to an automobile instrument panel;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the device with the split tube in the closed position; t

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the device with the split tube in the open position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view of the device attached to a certain type of automobile instrument panel by means of a bracket;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view of a modified form of the device; and

Fig. 8 is a partially sectioned side elevation view of another modified form of the invention wherein the ash receiver is attached to the snuffer.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the device includes a case 10 having an open mouth 34, a substantially funnel-shaped split tube 24 disposed below said mouth, and a hinged panel 12 operatively connected with said split tube as will be hereinafter described.

The hinged panel 12 is provided with extended sides 14 which conform closely to the inside shape of the case 10, said hinged panel also having a joggled portion 16 which fits into an opening 18 of said case to form a reasonably smooth front surface of the device as illustrated in Fig. 2. The hinged panel 12 is pivotally attached to the case 10 by means of rivets 20 and is further provided with inwardly disposed tabs 22. The split tube 24 is composed of three parts including a fixed portion 26 and two hinged portions 28, the complete split tube comprising a slightly tapered lower portion 30 and an outwardly flared upper portion 32.

The upper part of the case 10 contains a mouth 34 which is substantially conical in shape, the contours of said case being rounded as illustrated in Fig. 1 to present a pleasing appearance. The mouth 34 extends downwardly and fits into the flared upper portion 32 of the split tube, the fixed portion 26 being secured firmly to said mouth and being further secured to the back panel 36 of the case 16 by means of a bracket 38.

The fixed portion 26 is provided with outwardly extended flanges 40, the end portions of which are rolled around hinge pins 42 to form hinge collars 44. The hinged portions 28 are also provided with outwardly extended flanges 46, the end portions of which are rolled around the hinge pins 42 to form upper and lower hinge collars 48 on the upper and lower ends of the portions 28. Thus the hinged portions 23 are pivotally attached to the fixed portion 26 and are biased in the closed position by means of springs 50 wound around the hinge pins 42 between the hinge collars 44, the ends of said springs being engaged with the flanges 40 and 46 to provide the necessary bias.

The hinged portions 28 are provided with inflexible actuating arms or levers 52 which are secured to said lower hinge collars 43 and extend outwardly to pass behind the tabs 22 of the hinged panel 12. As the hinged panel 12 is manually shifted inwardly, the tabs 22 will engage the actuating arms 52 and cause the hinged portions 28 to be forced apart as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The device is especially suited for use in automobiles, a particular example of such an installation being shown in Fig. 1 in which the case 10 is fastened to an instrument panel 54 which has an ash tray 56 mounted thereon. The ash tray illustrated is slidably mounted in the instrument panel 54 and is open at the top. The snuifer' is arranged so that when the ash tray is pulled out to the I position illustrated, ashes and snuffed cigarettes can fall into the ash tray. The case 10 may be secured by means of suitable screws which engage with the screw threaded holes 58 in the back panel 36, said back being strengthened at this point by means of a reinforcing strip 60.

Should the instrument panel be of such a shape that the device may not be attached conveniently above the ash tray, the installation may be arranged as illustrated in Fig. 6, in which the case 10 is attached to a suitable bracket 62 which in turn is fastened to the instrument panel 64.

The device serves to extinguish a cigarette before the butt is deposited in an ash tray to prevent the danger of fire within the ash tray. The method of extinguishing the cigarette is unique in that the cigarette is not damaged in the process and may be relighted if so desired.

The cigarette is extinguished by inserting it into the split tube 24 through the mouth 34, the tapered lower portion being of the necessary diameter to hold said cigarette securely. The split tube normally being of metal,

the heat of the burning portion of the cigarette is quickly 3 conducted away, and this, together with the fact that air is almost excluded from the burning portion, quickly extinguishes the cigarette.

It has been found in practice that the process is very fast, requiring but a few seconds to extinguish a cigarette. I prefer to construct the flared upper portion 32 of the split tube, at least, of a metal having a high thermal conductivity such as copper, or the split tube can be plated with copper.

After the cigarette has been extinguished it may be deposited in the ash tray by depressing the hinged panel 12 which opens the split tube 24- to release the cigarette.

A modified form of the device is illustrated in Fig. 7, in which the split tube 66 comprises two similar complementary half tubes 63 which are pivotally connected along one edge by means of a hinge pin 7d. The ends of the hinge pin 70 are supported by brackets '72 so that the split tube 66 is held in alignment beneath the mouth 34 of the case 10, The half tubes 6%; are provided with actuating arms 74 extending outwardly therefrom and engaging the tabs 22, so that said actuating arms are moved rearwardly and the split tube opened by movement of the hinged panel 112, in a manner similar to that previously described. The split tube 66 has a slightly tapered lower portion and an outwardly flared upper portion similar to the split tube 24, the function and operation also remaining the same.

Although the cigarette snutfer is described as installed in an automobile, the use is not necessarily limited to such an installation but could be extended to use in the home by attaching the device to an ash tray by means of a suitable bracket, or in combination with an attached ash receiver as illustrated in Fig. 8.

This ash receiver 76 comprises a body 78 shaped to fit closely around the lower end of the case 10, said body having an upwardly extended portion 80 containing a pair of holes 82 which coincide with the screw threaded holes 58 so that said body may be secured thereon by means of screws 84. The lower end of the body 78 is fitted with a fiap 86 which is pivotally connected thereto by a hinge 88, said hinge being spring biased to hold said flap in a closed position. The flap S6 is further secured by a resilient catch 9:) which engages the inwardly turned lip 92 on the front edge of the body 78.

With the addition of the ash receiver 76, the cigarette stubs may be dumped therein and disposed of when convenient by opening the flap 86. In this form, the snuifer and ash receiver may be attached to any convenient support.

The operation of this invention will be clearly comprehended from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the drawing and the above recited objects. It will be obvious that all said objects are amply achieved by this invention.

Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

It is understood that minor variations from the form of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the specification and drawing are to be considered as merely illustrative rather than limiting.

I claim:

1. A cigarette snuft'er comprising a case having an opening in the upper portion thereof, a split tube disposed below and in alignment with said opening, said split tube having complementary portions, a panel movably mounted in said case and comprising a front wall of said case, and means for separating said portions comprising actuating arms on said portions, and portions of said panel being operatively engageable with said arms.

2. A cigarette snuffer comprising a case having an opening, a split tube disposed below and in alignment with said opening, said split tube including a fixed portion and two hinged portions pivotally connected thereto, said hinged portions being spring biased toward a closed position, and means for separating said hinged portions comprising a portion of said casing constituting a panel, said. panel being hinged to the remaining portion of the casing, and said panel being operatively connected with said hinged portion.

3. A cigarette snuffer comprising a case having an opening, a split tube disposed below and in alignment with said opening, said split tube constituting a funnelshnped element having a slightly tapered lower portion and a flared upper portion said split tube including a fixed portion and two hinged portions pivotally connected thereto, said hinged portions being spring biased in the closed position, and means for separating said hinged portions, said means including a hinged panel pivotally attached to said case, said hinged panel having projecting elements, actuating arms secured to said hinged portions, said actuating arms being adapted to be engaged by said elements.

4. A cigarette shutter according to claim 2 and wherein said case includes a substantially vertical wall and said panel is substantially flush with said wall when in an undisplaced position.

5. A cigarette snufler comprising a case having an open lower end, the upper portion of said case having a substantially conical mouth, panel movably mounted in said case and comprising a front wall of said case, a split tube disposed below and in alignment with said month, said split tube comprising hinged complementary portions biased toward a closed or cigarette stub encompassing position, said complementary portions together constituting a substantially funnel-shaped element, and means adapted to swing two of said complementary portions outwardly into an open or cigarette stubreleasing position comprising actuating arms on said sections, and portions of said panel operatively engageable with said arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

